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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23764054">Sunlight</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/hqprotectionsquad/pseuds/hqprotectionsquad'>hqprotectionsquad</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Haikyuu!! One Shots [12]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Haikyuu!!</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Crushes, Double Date, F/M, First Dates, Fluff, High School</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-04-21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-04-21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 10:42:57</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,576</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23764054</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/hqprotectionsquad/pseuds/hqprotectionsquad</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Kunimi takes you home after he is dragged on a double date with Oikawa and his crush.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Kunimi Akira/Reader</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Haikyuu!! One Shots [12]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1702609</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>56</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Sunlight</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Hello! I am cross-posting my content from tumblr (hqprotectionsquad) to this AO3 account. I hope you all enjoy! If you liked this one shot, please leave a comment or kudos!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Kunimi leans into the desk chair, scanning the classroom. Deep breath in, deep breath out. No need for anyone to see that he is having an internal breakdown. His face is stone-cold, with his eyes as dull as usual, but his head is clattered with memories and thoughts, and most importantly, a realization that shook his form in the first place: he developed feelings for you.</p><p>For him, this is huge. He hasn’t had a crush since junior high, and even then, he found the idea of a prospering relationship too much to handle. Now, while his perspective toward romance has matured, he wants his feelings to be like milk, spoiled once exposed to the elements. He just needs a few reasons to create a barrier between his brain and his heart. Maybe you have a bad habit of dog-earring your pages or you chew too loud or you tend to speak on the sarcastic side. Something. Anything.</p><p>Volleyball practice arrives and Kunimi pinpoints the original source of the “problem,” as he wants to call this thing that’s taken over his mind. This man with perfectly styled hair is ultimately the reason why you and your best friend even come to the volleyball games and while it isn’t as hard to talk to Ritsuko, you are a little more difficult, only because Kunimi can’t look at you in the eyes. Oikawa approaches Kunimi at the end of practice, glowing and glistening instead of appearing sweaty like everyone else. “Kunimi-chan, will you be meeting up with me, (L/N)-chan, and Ri-chan after we finish here today? I could use a friend to help me seal the deal with Ri-chan and she’ll only come if (L/N)-chan comes.”</p><p>Kunimi slings the towel around the crook of his elbow but all he really wants to do with the sweat-sopped thing is throw it into Oikawa’s face. Is he really indirectly pushing the limits to his brain? Oikawa wouldn’t know anything about it but Kunimi has nothing to do today and his mom is always nagging him to spend time with his friends instead of reading inside or peppering a volleyball by himself. Kunimi replies coolly, “Sure. What are we doing?”</p><p>“Cafe study date, of course!” Oikawa sips from his water bottle, but the corner of his lips form a grin. “I hope we do more talking than studying but you never know. Ri-chan and Lara-chan are so studious sometimes.”</p><p>“I see.” Kunimi nods and gathers his things. “I’ll meet you in twenty.”</p><p>“Okay!” Oikawa’s thumb and index finger meet to make a circle. “Say hi to them if you see them before I do! They’ll be stopping by the gym. See you!”</p><p>Once Kunimi gets into the shower, he does everything he can to prevent himself from banging his head against the tiled wall. The water from the shower head rolls onto his body, then off into the drain. Why did he even agree to this? He is just going to shut off, like the robot everyone says he is. This is a mistake.</p><p>“Do you understand what they’re talking about?” You lean over to whisper in Kunimi’s ear. He shakes his head with a frown in response.</p><p>Across the table, your best friend and Oikawa are discussing what seems to be school but also flirting with every other word. You didn’t think that was possible up until that moment. Ri-chan always goes for the studious kind, which is kind of the reason why you were so skeptical when she asked you to accompany her to this study session. Oikawa never struck you as the smart guy, but here you were, proven wrong, apparently. Kunimi, on the other hand, is quiet, but it appears that he cares a lot about his grades because he actually is studying for an exam he has next week, according to him.</p><p>“What are you working on?” You nudge Kunimi’s elbow with yours and at first, it looks like he’s about to lash out at you. You scoot into the back of your chair, folding your arms. He doesn’t seem invested in his work and he sets his pencil to the side.</p><p>“A math assignment.” His voice is everything but a murmur. “What are you working on, (L/N)-chan?” Your name doesn’t roll off as easy as you thought it would, and you can’t help but to wonder if his would sound weird in your mouth too.</p><p>“An essay for Japanese literature. I don’t really understand it though.” Your lips form a thin line before you force yourself to take a sip from your latte. If you were going to spend nearly 600 yen on a drink, you needed to finish it.</p><p>“I see.” Kunimi nodded and looked outside the window, no longer paying attention to you. You know that he’s not an outgoing person, but with Ri-chan and Oikawa doing all sorts of things across the table, you wish you had a more receptive person to the left of you.</p><p>Ri-chan pushes herself out of the table with her eyes wide open. “Ah! I need to go pick up Haru-kun!” Her brother, only five, gets picked up. You remember meeting him for the first time and you understand why Ri-chan goes out of her way for her sibling. He is one of the shiest things on this earth.</p><p>“Let me come with you, Ri-chan! So that you won’t have to go alone.” Oikawa suggests with his million-yen smile and she graciously accepts.</p><p>“I apologize, Kunimi-san and Lara,” Ri-chan’s words come out fast and muddled. They bow to the both of you before taking their leave. The bell at the top of the door resounds in your ears over and over. <em>Did that just really happen?</em> You ask yourself. You glance over to Kunimi’s expression and it seems that he reacted similarly.</p><p>“Er, I suppose I should take you home then.” Kunimi offers after noticing your cup drew empty a while ago.</p><p>“Yeah, there isn’t much point to staying after they’ve left anyway.” You shrug, placing your notebook and pencils back into your school bag. After zipping up and thanking the server for the food and beverages, you motion for him to lead the way out.</p><p>He does and he barely looks at you before heading off into a direction. “Kunimi, my house is the other way,” you pant after needing to run after him. He isn’t necessarily fast, but he is persistent.</p><p>“Oh. Okay.” To you, it looks like Kunimi is one to only work, but you know from watching him over the year you’ve known of him that he doesn’t even work sometimes. What is the turmoil behind his eyes? What is he thinking about?</p><p>This time, you lead the way but you make sure you stand next to him. Now that you’re side by side, you need to roll your eyes up to your eyebrows to properly have a look at him. Soft threads of hair, a fit and capable body, but saddest of all, his eyes evoke stirring into your heart. When was the last time someone really got to know him?</p><p>“Kunimi-san, if you don’t mind me asking,” you begin as your scenery changes from the hustle of the city center to the suburbs where most people live. “Do you have friends from outside of the volleyball team?”</p><p>“Not really,” he replies.</p><p>“Why not?”</p><p>“I don’t go out of my way to make new friends.” It is simple and the truth, but it stings your eyes.</p><p>“Right.” You nod, pushing down the stone in your throat. “Have you ever wanted to become friends with other people?”</p><p>“I guess,” he mutters as you turn a corner and he follows suit, shoving his hands in his front pockets. “It doesn’t really matter to me whether or not I have friends.”</p><p>“Isn’t it a little lonely though?” You prod more, seeing if he’ll say anything or do anything. You can’t really imagine yourself going further out of your current friend group either, but your group is diverse in all the activities you do. No one person shares all the same ones, which makes conversations exciting.</p><p>“Sometimes.”</p><p>His words trail into a deafening silence. You walk for what you believe is hours and you continue toward your home. The next time he looks at you is when you arrive at the gate of your family home. It is modest, but it is perfect for a family like yours.</p><p>“Thank you for bringing me home.” You smile as you fish for your keys in your bag, holding out the strap with one hand.</p><p>“You’re welcome, (L/N)-san.” His grin is a ghost, only seen for a second, but you catch it.</p><p>“You have a nice smile,” you comment softly and shake your head. He isn’t looking for new friends, you remind yourself. Your voice raises in dynamics when you say, “So! How far away do you live from here?”</p><p>“Maybe…20 minutes.” He scratches his head with one of his fingers.</p><p>“You should’ve told me! Your house is far from here!” You go as far as slapping him lightly on the arm, but he doesn’t really react.</p><p>“It’s okay. I wanted to.” His small smile returns. The sun streams through the tree on the sidewalk and when it hits Kunimi, it washes over his features with a soft glow. No longer does he look dull, he shines brighter than ever.</p>
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